Quotes on Freedom and the Great American Experiment

Freedom

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With each passing day revealing new secret government programs designed to protect us in our war on terrorism, at the cost of our freedom, I think these words from George Washington are as relevant today as they were in 1776. And I would add.. that if we are to prevail in this war, if we are to make the world safe from those who wish to destroy our way of life, we must do so as free men, or not at all.

“The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them. The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.” ~ George Washington August 1776

I found this amazing quote today on the Facebook page of my brilliant, libertarian co-worker, Joshua Hamm. Thank you!

“The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.” ~ John Stuart Mill

Having tried all day to tweet bits and pieces of this quote, I have decided it belongs here on this blog. My reasoning is that freedom in the spiritual world is just as important, if not more so, than freedom in the physical world. These dying words by George Bernard Shaw, an admitted non believer in a higher power, speaks to that freedom and the regrets that can be found when one is lost from it.

“The science to which I pinned my faith is bankrupt. It’s counsels which should have established the millennium, led, instead, directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped to destroy the faith of millions of worshippers in the temples of a thousand creeds. And now they look at me and witness the great tragedy of an atheist who has lost his faith” ~ George Bernard Shaw

In 1961, Ronald Reagan recorded an eleven minute LP against socialized medicine, warning that it would take away American freedoms. The recording was part of “Operation Coffee Cup,” a campaign by the American Medical Association that opposed the Democrat’s plan to create Medicare. As our country, once again, battles against those in Washington who want to ruin the American health care system as we know it, President Reagan’s words are eerily relevant still today.

“One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project, most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can’t afford it. Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We have an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.” – Ronald Reagan

While adding a few new followers on Twitter tonight I came across an interesting quote posted by @ReadyontheRight. The quote was from Samual Adams and for me it captured my feelings about the events of the first 100 days of the Obama administration to a tee.

With each passing day the Obama administration pushes more and more of their social agenda on the country, all in the guise of what is necessary and in the best interest of the people. However, I can not help but think that with each new bailout and executive order that a little more of our liberty is slipping away. Should this not change I fear we will soon find ourselves a nation with rightful and irreconcilable differences.

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, — go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!” – Samuel Adams

“Slavery in the modern world implies the absolute deprivation of the individual’s liberty, while possession of weapons and mastery of their use are means to the individual’s liberation. We do not perceive how a man may be armed and at the same time bereft of his freedom.” – John Keegan

Timeless wisdom from the British author and, arguably the worlds best know, military historian.

Earlier today, in much despair over our current political situation, I wrote on another blog: “It’s over. Our political parties have failed us becasue we have failed to understand what it means to be free.”

With this post I hope at least one person reflects on that, and where we as nation need to be if we ever wish to be free again.

“Freedom is not an unlimited license, an unlimited choice, or an unlimited opportunity. Freedom is first of all a responsibility before the God from whom we come.” – Alan Keyes